Aston Villa and Fulham both include Martin Jol on the shortlist for manager vacancies

Aston Villa are leaving the door open to the possibility of Mark Hughes
becoming their manager, but Martin Jol has emerged as an increasingly
pivotal figure in the Premier League’s latest managerial merry-go-round.

Return to England: Martin Jol is wanted back in the Premier LeaguePhoto: EPA

Jol, the former Tottenham manager, is understood to figure prominently on the shortlists of both Villa and Fulham following the respective departures this week of Gérard ­Houllier and Hughes.

The Dutchman is known to be keen on a return to the Premier League after resigning as Ajax manager last December. Jol was Fulham’s first choice to succeed Roy Hodgson last summer but remained in Holland after Ajax refused to negotiate over his release.

Fulham are keen to make an appointment soon, with the players due back for pre-season training on June 23 ahead of the start of their Europa League qualifying campaign. Martin O’Neill is another prominent option, but it is believed that the club will approach Jol first.

Hughes tendered his resignation a day after Houllier had left Villa, but Fulham have been told directly by the Midlands club that they do not intend to appoint him.

Villa will broaden the scope of their search to take in Rafael Benítez, Steve McClaren and Jol, but they will not completely dismiss Hughes from their thoughts. A tentative inquiry about Carlo Ancelotti is also understood to have been made.

Hughes’s representative, Kia Joorabchian, said on Friday that Hughes would be prepared to wait for the right opportunity. “He wants to go to a club where he can fight for titles, whether that is in England, Spain, Italy or Portugal,” he said. “If that means he has to be out of management for a year then that is the case. Mark left Fulham because he wanted to explore his aspirations.

“One of the things that he looked for was to see if Fulham wanted to go to the next level. If the ambitions didn’t align then he didn’t think it would be fair to stay in the job. No other club is in consideration.”

Joorabchian also flagged up the possibility of Chelsea, who are expected to appoint Guus Hiddink as Ancelotti’s successor. “If they approach Mark he’ll be happy to speak to them,” he said.